Nevada Required Hazards

Edited

In Nevada, the permitting requirements for hazardous materials are regulated by the state's fire code, which adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) as the minimum standard for fire prevention and protection.

Under the IFC, anyone handling, storing, or transporting hazardous materials beyond certain thresholds is required to obtain a hazardous materials permit from the local fire department. For facilities in Nevada, this requirement is fulfilled by submitting a Tier II report.

As a result, Nevada's Tier II reporting requirements mandate additional hazard information for each chemical included in the report. This article discusses the categories of these Nevada-specific hazards and the criteria used to determine their applicability to a particular chemical. The necessary information for these determinations can be located on a chemical's Safety Data Sheet.

Hazard Class

Criteria in the IFC

Example

Combustible

Any material that is not a flammable solid, a compressed gas, an explosive, or a flammable liquid, and that under normal conditions of storage, use or handling is capable of igniting and burning so as to create a hazard.

Wood, paper, cloth, plastics, certain chemicals

Corrosives

A material that causes visible destruction or irreversible alteration in living tissue or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum.

Sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide

Flammable

A liquid that has a flash point below 100°F (37.8°C), or a solid that is capable of causing fire through friction, absorption of moisture, or spontaneous chemical changes and burns so vigorously and persistently that it creates a hazard.

Gasoline, propane, butane, ether, acetone

Inert Material/Gas

A material that is incapable of supporting combustion or burning, or which will not react with other materials under normal conditions of temperature and pressure.

Nitrogen, argon, helium

Oxidizing Materials

A material that may cause or contribute to the combustion of other materials by providing oxygen, either directly or by undergoing a chemical change, and that is not itself necessarily combustible.

Hydrogen peroxide, ammonium nitrate, potassium permanganate

Radioactive

A material that emits ionizing radiation, which can cause damage to living organisms or other materials.

Uranium, plutonium, cesium-137

Unstable (Reactive) Materials

A material that is capable of rapid or violent reaction, decomposition, or polymerization, which can release energy or hazardous gases, or which can cause an explosion or fire.

Peroxides, chlorates, nitrates

Explosive Materials

A material that is capable of rapidly releasing energy, either by combustion or detonation, which can cause damage to surrounding materials or living organisms.

TNT, dynamite, gunpowder

Highly Toxic Materials

A material that is capable of causing serious harm or death through ingestion, inhalation, or contact with living organisms.

Cyanide, arsenic, mercury

Organic Peroxides

A material that contains an oxygen-oxygen bond, which can decompose rapidly and release heat or hazardous gases.

Benzoyl peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide

Pyrophoric Materials

A material that can ignite spontaneously in air at or below a temperature of 130°F (54.4°C).

White phosphorus, sodium hydride

Toxic Materials

A material that is capable of causing harm or injury to living organisms through ingestion, inhalation, or contact.

Lead, asbestos, benzene

Water-reactive Materials

A material that can react vigorously or explosively with water or moisture, which can release heat or hazardous gases.

Sodium, potassium, lithium